Automotive recyclers typically purchase vehicles at vehicle auctions and sell the auto parts of the purchased vehicles. Once purchased, the automotive recyclers typically use an Inventory Management System such as Hollander, Checkmate, Pinnacle, Fast Parts, or Powerlink to maintain data about the auto parts. Among other functionality and components, Inventory Management Systems typically include a database, and automotive recyclers enter data (e.g., a price, etc.) about each auto part in the fields of the Inventory Management System. Similarly, automotive recyclers may access the data stored in their Inventory Management System about the auto parts to sell the auto parts.
The sale of recycled auto parts has traditionally been facilitated by the Hollander Interchange Index. In particular, some auto parts, typically those that are sold most frequently, have been studied and assigned an Interchange Number in the Hollander Interchange Index. Generally, auto parts with the same Interchange Number are interchangeable with each other. In particular, auto parts with the same Interchange Number may be identical, but have different years or models. For example, if the wheel of a 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier and the wheel of a 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier are interchangeable, both wheels may be assigned the same Interchange Number (e.g., 12345). Similarly, the same Interchange Number may be assigned to auto parts with different makes that are interchangeable. To use the same example, if the wheel of a 1995 Pontiac Sunfire or the wheel of a 1996 Pontiac Sunfire are interchangeable with the wheel of a 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier or a 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier, then the Interchange Number of 1995 and 1996 Pontiac Sunfire wheels may also be the same (i.e., 12345).
Additionally, an auto part can also be interchangeable with another auto part but yet the two auto parts may have different interchange numbers (e.g. 12345a and 12345b or 12345 and 67890). This may happen when a part will fit the application, but there may be a subtle difference in appearance or some physical characteristic that makes it slightly different but the auto part will still fit and work for the application.
Nonetheless, if a customer wishes to purchase a wheel for a 1995 Pontiac Sunfire from an automotive recycler, the automotive recycler may search for a 1995 Pontiac Sunfire wheel in his or her Inventory Management System, and if the Inventory Management System uses the Hollander Interchange Index, the Inventory Management System will determine the interchangeability of a 1995 Pontiac Sunfire wheel based on the Interchange Numbers and display a list of all the wheels that are interchangeable with a 1995 Pontiac Sunfire wheel on the recycler's computer screen. Once displayed, the customer may select one of the Interchangeable wheels (e.g., based on price), the selected part can be retrieved, and the recycler can finalize the sale with the customer. Due to the indexing, the recycler may be able to meet the customer's requirement not only with a 1995 Pontiac Sunfire wheel, but also with a wheel interchangeable with a 1995 Pontiac Sunfire wheel.
However, not all auto parts are indexed (i.e., assigned an Interchange Number) under the Hollander Interchange Index. Generally, auto parts that are not as frequently requested by customers may not be indexed. Non-indexed auto parts, which are sometimes referred to as Non Interchange auto parts, may not be indexed for any years, models, nor makes. Auto parts such as windshield washer bottles, ash trays, seats (e.g., front seats), speedometer cable, and rearview minors are typically not indexed.
As all auto parts are not indexed, automotive recyclers and customers may experience difficulties in selling and purchasing, respectively, non-indexed auto part. For example, if a customer wants to purchase from a recycler a windshield washer bottle from a 1995 Pontiac Sunfire, the recycler may search for 1995 Pontiac Sunfire windshield washer bottles in his or her Inventory Management System. However, as windshield washer bottlers are generally not indexed, and therefore do not have Interchange Numbers, the Inventory Management System will typically only search for 1995 Pontiac Sunfire windshield washer bottles. Only 1995 Pontiac Sunfire windshield washer bottles, if the recycler has any in the database of his or her Inventory Management System, will be displayed. As windshield washer bottles are a non-indexed auto part, the Hollander Interchange Index cannot be used to determine windshield washer bottles that may be interchangeable with a 1995 Pontiac Sunfire windshield washer bottle and none will be displayed even if the recycler has such an interchangeable windshield washer bottle. As a result, the recycler may not be able to sell an auto part that would indeed satisfy the customer's request, generally reducing the recycler's profitability. Furthermore, the customer may have to waste more time and resources contacting other recyclers, whom may experience the same difficulties as the first recycler, to purchase the auto part.
In some instances, the recycler may rely on experience to try to determine which auto parts may be interchangeable with a non-indexed auto part. Referring to the example above, if the recycler does not have any 1995 Pontiac Sunfire windshield washer bottles, a more experienced recycler may rely on his experience to make educated guesses as to which other windshield washer bottles may be interchangeable with a 1995 Pontiac Sunfire windshield washer bottle. As such, the recycler may decide to search for 1996 Pontiac Sunfire windshield washer bottle and/or 1997 Pontiac Sunfire windshield washer bottle, etc. If none of these are available in his or her inventory, he may continue to search for other vehicles that the recycler thinks may be interchangeable with a 1995 Pontiac Sunfire windshield washer bottle. However, this approach relies on experience, thus, less experienced recyclers may not have the benefit of this experience. Furthermore, the use of experience may be error prone and/or may omit some auto parts that may be interchangeable with non-indexed auto part.
In conclusion, the sale of non-indexed auto parts may pose challenges that indexed auto parts may not.